


Victims of Truth

by booktick



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dysfunctional Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Gen, I have no idea what to tag, it's just a child caring for his mom, just a bit of an au i feel, not spoiler free at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 05:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14909618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booktick/pseuds/booktick
Summary: Selim Bradley thinks about his childhood.





	Victims of Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own none of this franchise.

* * *

It really isn't her fault for assuming he would be frighten of the dark. Most children are after all and he certainly wasn't too fond of it. The light she leaves on the bedstand shines enough for him to remain alert. The rest of the room might remain in the shadows but it is enough...for now. One can never be too careful in this world, even a Homunculus.

She kisses his cheeks and he grins like he's seen thousands of children do. He keeps the stuffed bear tucked under his arm out of habit. A gift from Mrs. Bradley two years back. It's only for show that he keeps it close. She would be wounded if he tossed it out. She would ask questions. An unhappy child would be a suspicious mother.

Yet the stuffed bear, with the two button eyes and a stitched smile, remains in his school bag whenever he is taken there. Pride keeps the useless thing close as a reminder of his purpose at Wrath's shell of a home. He must play his part, same as Wrath. Though he has slipped up...only a few times anyway. What homunculus hasn't? A boy, a terrible human boy, who appeared similar in age had taken the stuffed bear and repeatedly insulted Mrs. Bradley. It was expected that humans were ignorant and the boy had proved the same.

Wrath had to speak to the headmaster of the school. The bully of a boy had been the son of a State Alchemist. It's difficult to keep that status when your child has just assaulted the son of your leader. It was a shame the boy would not be returning to the school. Pride hadn't even scratched the surface when he had finished but it was good fun to see Wrath rub it in further afterwards. At least Father had found it amusing. Wrath had not.

When his days weren't occupied with tedious teachings, he wasn't, as Riza Hawkeye had ignorantly assumed firsthand, in the shadows. He had to play his part after all. Perhaps his presence did hold the similar sense of dread that humans let linger in the back of their skulls. But not everything had to be darkness. 

Mrs. Bradley, as human as they came, had told him once that in every night there is the moon, even when clouds get in the way or we do not see it...the moon remains. He imagined once everything occurred as it should that Father would have no need of it though it did see a bit dissatisfying. 

Where would he get his light then? Without the moon or the sun there would be only Father and whatever was left of this planet. If Father consumed all of the souls in this country then it would be safe to assume that meant Mrs. Bradley as well. It wasn't like he hadn't considered the idea. Father wouldn't care if Wrath protested against it.

As for Wrath, well, Wrath was typically too busy fighting against everything that moved, human or not. He doubted Mrs. Bradley was on the old man's train of thought most days, if ever at all. But Pride thought of her often though he would deny it.

If Father succeeded it would mean no more stories or school or hugs...not that he needed any of that. He was far above any human, nonetheless human children. In times like these, he would hold his stuffed bear close to his chest and stare at the nothingness of the night. He didn't need her. He didn't need anything from this universe. 

Yet, as mentioned before, he was not always in the shadows. He had little power there and it was foolish of Mustang's dog to think so. He happily walked through the gardens and into the shops with the same smile he awarded to the Elric brothers once. His hand often locked with Mrs. Bradley's, if only for her benefit. She would have been as lost as the rest of the humans without him. He couldn't very well let her ruin Father's plans by wandering off. Father needed every soul available...didn't he?

Wrath told him once that Father should have chosen a better vessel for him. That humans caught on faster than Father realized. A child that remains a child for decades is noticeable. A few years was easy to miss but twenty was far too many. He had scoffed and waved off Wrath, as he had done several times before. It was foolish for Wrath to think this was his first container.

"Selim, would you like me to help you?" She would ask him on occasion. 

"No, I got it!" Pride would laugh. 

As if he required any assistance from her to begin with. Yet there she would be, with the warmest of smiles and softest of hugs. He would laugh and hug her back to keep up the act. But sometimes...hugs were not as awful as they seemed. Envy had said any physical contact with a human was like acid in the mouth. He had never had acid in the mouth but whenever Mrs. Bradley was near he could not believe Envy's words. She held no hate in her nor rage or...well, most things they had all been told.

Pride had spent several days and nights with her. She had taught him how to tie his shoes and how to catch fireflies. She was nothing like the others. Well, almost. Lust, on occasion, could be warm too. But Lust was gone and he could not protect her. Mrs. Bradley was still very much alive, even if it was only for the time being anyway. Pride would continue to watch her...for Father of course. Wrath wasn't around that often to always know what his very human wife was up to. 

In fact, Pride and her had shared secrets. Some of his had even been true. They would dress up and sneak off to shops, no guards or anything. They would play pretend as if they weren't really the Bradleys. Pride was great pretending to be something he wasn't. When he was left to his own devices, it wasn't always bad. He could have a bit of fun...the rest certainly had theirs.

The worst part of all of it really was that despite all of humanity's effort to further the self, Mrs. Bradley cared for him more. It infuriated him the most out of all the things he endured in this universe. He refused to say he cared for her in return. Pride would never claim to have any love for Mrs. Bradley. As for Selim Bradley, he would always love his mother.

 


End file.
